1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ejecting device for ejecting a liquid member. More specifically, the present invention relates to a liquid member ejecting device, a method for ejecting the liquid member, an electro-optic device, and a method for manufacturing therefor, and an electronic apparatus which can fill a liquid member in an ejecting head and remove bubbles in the filled liquid member desirably.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventionally, an ink jet printer which is provided with an ink jet head has been known as an ejecting device which is provided with an ejecting head for ejecting the liquid member material.
An ink jet head which is provided in the ink jet printer usually comprises a cavity for storing the liquid member, nozzles for communicating the cavity, and an ejecting section for ejecting the liquid member stored in the cavity from the nozzles. Also, a tank for storing the liquid member is connected to such an ejecting head so as to supply the liquid member from the liquid member tank to the ejecting head.
Also, recently, the above ink jet head for the ejecting head has been used not only for personal ink jet printer, but also for commercial ejecting devices such as a device for forming parts of various devices. For example, such an ejecting head has been used for forming color filters which are used in illuminating layers, positive hole implantation layers in organic EL (electro-luminescence) devices and a liquid crystal device, and furthermore, metal wirings in various devices, and microlenses.
A method for filling the liquid member for starting the ink jet head is performed in the above ink jet head (see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. 2000-108383).
First, a flexible covering member is pushed to a nozzle forming surface in the ejecting head so as to cover the nozzle forming surface in an air-tight manner. Next, a decompressing section which is connected to the covering member is started so as to decompress a space between the covering member and the nozzle forming surface.
Accordingly, the inside of the ink jet head is decompressed; thus, a liquid member is supplied from the liquid member tank into the ink jet head. Therefore, the ink jet head is filled with the liquid member. Consequently, the above decompressing operation is maintained; thus, the liquid member is drained toward the covering member by attracting the filled liquid member from the ink jet head. Simultaneously, air in the ejecting head and bubbles remaining in a flow path are attracted and drained toward the covering member.
In such a case, the bubbles remaining in the ejecting head act undesirably for flowing the liquid member and ejecting the liquid member from the nozzles because the bubbles absorb ejection pressure which is generated in ejecting the liquid member. Thus, bubbles remaining in the ejecting head is a major reason for an inferior and deteriorated ejection from the ejecting head.
In a case in which the ejecting device is used for an industrial use, a valuable rare liquid member, or a highly viscous liquid member are often used for various purposes. For example, recently, it is proposed to use a technique which is realized by the above ejecting device (ink jet printer) for producing a test sample for analyzing a genetic structure. However, a reagent and a test sample which are used for producing such a test sample are expensive and rare. Also, a highly viscous reagent and test sample are used for a liquid member for producing an illuminating layer in the organic EL device.
However, when the liquid member is filled to start using the ejection head and draining the liquid member which is filled in the ejecting head so as to remove the bubbles therein, the expensive liquid member is wasted; thus, a production cost may be greatly increased. Also, if a rare liquid material is used, there is a disadvantage in that it is possible only to use small amount of liquid material.
Also, when the highly viscous liquid member is used, the bubbles hardly flow in the liquid member and the liquid member also hardly moves by itself; therefore, it is necessary to drain the liquid member by absorbing the liquid member. Thus, production cost increases because the liquid member is wasted.
Furthermore, finer liquid member has been required in recent years so as to satisfy finer ejection; thus, smaller nozzle diameter and a narrower flow path have been required accordingly. Along with a requirement for such a fine structure, it is difficult to drain the bubbles in a decompressing operation and an attracting operation due to a higher capillary attraction.